Patriot Players earn nominations for musical murder mystery

May 24, 2011

By Warren Kagarise

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” — a stage production based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished murder mystery — garnered Liberty High School performers a bevy of nominations in The 5th Avenue Theatre’s annual awards to honor high school musical theater.

The ladies of the opium den circle gather ’round the Princess Puffer, played by Senior Kelsey Canaga, during the Patriot Players’ musical ‘Drood’ at Liberty High School. By Mary Eck

The lush depiction of Victorian London garnered nods for Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Program Design and Outstanding Performance by a Chorus. Performers Tucker Goodman, a junior, and Paige Fabre, a senior, also received acting nominations in the statewide competition.

The high school’s company, the Patriot Players, earned nominations in most major categories.

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” also earned the Patriot Players honorable mentions in the Outstanding Overall Musical Production and Outstanding Direction categories.

“We knew we had people to play some of these really pivotal roles,” she said. “There were plenty of people for several of the roles, but you also don’t pick a show like that if you don’t know that you’ve got people who can handle it.”

The performers rose to the challenge and, before each performance, slipped into period costumes and English accents to charm audience members.

Goodman starred as the Chairman of the Board and earned a nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role.

“It’s this huge part — just a huge amount of lines — but also a lot of audience interaction,” Klekas said.

For a role as a prince in “Into the Woods” last year, Goodman received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

Fabre turned a small part as a male character into a standout performance and picked up a nod for Outstanding Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Non-Singing Role.

The 5th Avenue Theatre announced the nominees May 17. The honor is considered a kind of high school Tony Award and is meant to celebrate exceptional musical theater productions from the 2010-2011 school year.

Nominated students and schools perform excerpts from nominated shows at a splashy ceremony before a Benaroya Hall audience expected to reach 2,400 people. Local elected officials, and arts and media personalities, present awards at the June 6 ceremony.

The Liberty drama program started participating in the awards program in 2005. “Seussical” in 2006 received 11 nods, the most nominations a Liberty show has received.

“Into the Woods” earned 10 nominations and received awards for Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast last year.

If you go

The 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater

7 p.m. June 6

Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle

Tickets — $27.50 for adults and $16.50 for students — can be purchased through participating schools.

TVW is broadcasting the awards ceremony in its entirety as a live webcast on www.5thavenue.org.